How Do We Perform the Prayer?

We perform the prayer as follows:

1. We stand facing the direction of the qiblah (which is the Ka'bah in Meccah), and we (specify our) intention, or niyyah. This means that with awareness and concentration we resolve to perform the prayer for the sake of Allah. For example, we resolve to perform the four-unit noon (zuhr) prayer "in nearness to Allah".

2. After having made this intention, we raise our hands to the level of our ears. palms facing forwards, and say the words "Allahu akbar."

3. After this "takbir", we recite surat al-Hamd. which is as follows:

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim,

And after reciting Surat Hamd we recite another complete surah from the Qur'an, for example, Surat al-Ikhlas:

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim,

4. Next we move to ruku, which is bowing before Allah. This means that we bend forward to the extent that we can place our hands on our knees. In this position we say: Subhana Rabbiyal Azimi wabihamdih, Then we stand up straight and say: Sami 'allahu liman bamidah.

5. Now we move to sujud. the prostration. This means that we place our forehead on earth or stone or wood and the palms of our two hands, our knees and the tips of our two big toes on the ground, in this position we say Subbana Rabbiyal-'Ala wa bi hamdih.

Then we raise our head from the prostration and sit still for a moment, and then we move back to the same position to perform a second prostration just like the first.

6. After having performed the second prostration, we stand up again to perform the second unit. While in the act of standing up, we say:Bihawlil-lahi wa quwwatihi aqumu wa aq'ud. Then we recite Surat al-Hamd and another surah just like in the first unit.

After saying the two surahs in the second unit now we say "qunut". This means that we raise our hands to the level of our shoulders, palms facing upwards, and say a supplication. For example, we say: Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina 'adhaban-nar.(Our Lord, grant us good in the world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.)

Then we perform the ruku' and sujud, just like in the first unit.

7. After the two prostration of the second unit, we must sit still and say the "tashahhud". This means that we say: Alhamdulillah, Ashhadu anla ilaha illallah wah dahu lasharikalah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh, Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa al Muhammad.

8. After saying this "tashahhud", we stand up to perform the third unit. In the third unit, we don't recite surat al-Hamd and the other surah. Instead, we say three times: Subhana-llahi wal-hamdu-lillahi wa la ilaha illa-llahu wallahu akbar.

Then we perform the ruku and the sujud just like in the other units. We then stand up again for the fourth unit and perform it like the third.

9. After the two prostration of the fourth unit. we sit and say "tashahhud", just like in the second unit. Then we say the salams: As-salamu alayka ayyuhan-nabiyu wa rahmatu-llahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadiilahis salihin, As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. And we have finished our prayer.

Notes:

1. We perform the afternoon (al-asr) and evening (al-'isha) prayers just like the noon (al-zuhr) prayer, but for the niyyah we must have an intention to pray al-'asr prayer, or al-isha prayer, "in nearness to Allah".

2. The sunset prayer (al-maghrib) has three units. So we make the niyyah to perform three units of al-maghrib prayer... and we say the second tashahhud and the salams at the end of the third unit and maghrib prayer is finished.

3. The morning prayer al-fajr has two units. So we make the niyyah, for two units, and we say the salams of the prayer after the tashahhud of the second unit, and the prayer is finished.

4. The time for the morning prayer is from the first light of dawn until sunrise.

5. The time for the noon and afternoon prayers, which must be performed in the right order, is from noon until sunset.

6. The time for the sunset and evening prayers, which must be performed in the right order, is from the beginning of the sunset until the middle of the night.